Solangelo Stories

Chapter Forty Four - Promise?

Nico and Will looked at each other fondly. Deep down they knew, they loved each other. It was love at first sight, love at Will's rants, and love at Nico's torn Hawaiian shirts. Will glanced down at their hands, he forgot he had grabbed THE Nico Di Angelo's hands to talk about the birth of a satyr. He pulled them away quickly, blood rushing to his face. 

Nico looked away with a red face as well, "Promise me you'll come back." Will told Nico, his voice slightly wavering. He always admired and loved the son of hades. He's admired him since the battle of the labyrinth after he had single-handedly defeated hundreds of monsters. 

"What?"

"Promise me," Wills's voice wavered again, he grabbed Nico's hands once more, gripping them like it was his life force. "We'll meet here, right on this hill. By Thalia's tree. Promise me you'll make it back."

"Will.." Nico whispered, his eyes softening. He knew... he knew he wouldn't make it. He could feel his force draining. He looked into Will's eyes, the tenderness that made him want to return. He had to. "I-"

"Promise me," Will squeezed his hands harder. "Please."

"I-" Nico stuttered, "I promise."

Will opened his mouth to respond but was promptly cut off by someone calling his name. He squeezed Nico's hands one more time before slowly slipping his hands away. Nico looked down at his hands, still hovering in the air as if they were still being held. He could feel the warmth that once was Will's hands slowly fade as his hands grew colder.

I have to make it, he told himself, I must. 

Nico then too went to where he was stationed in battle. When the battle began, it was a blur of metal clanging against more metal. The stygian iron sword absorbed the monsters that came toward him. He managed to suck in hundreds of monsters and use the energy as a weapon, sending it back as a tidal wave of spirits. He used this against the Romans, knocking them out, and killing only the monsters.

It was a new spell he had learned to control. yes, a spell, after spending time in the underworld you gain a few things from the goddess of magic who lives there. 

Nico could feel his force draining every time he used the spell, draining his spiritual force. He was already weak from shadow traveling, but he was being pushed to the extreme. Sometimes, Nico wonders why he still helps fight for the camp. For the people who always outcasted him. Why should he die for them if they don't even talk to him?

No, I cannot be like my father. I cannot. Even if it takes years, I'll make them like me. It's worth it, to make sure the little friends I have are safe. To make sure Will is safe...

He dropped to his knees in exhaustion as he breathed heavily, he could feel himself fading. He looked down at his hands as the sword fell out of them. "What the he--" his curse was stopped short as he felt a strong pain in his chest. He looked down, touching his chest as blood poured out of it. A sword, straight through his rib cage. "Fuck." he muttered, blood spurting out of his mouth. He looked up to see a roman soldier standing over him. A son of Cybele pulled the sword out of him, looking down at the sword he dropped it frightened. "I- I thought you were a ghost. I'm so sorry!"He cried out. "I'm so sorry!" He ran away from Nico leaving him to bleed out as he fell over. 

"Fucking shit balls," Nico said before passing out. 

On the other side of the field, Will fought a giant, shooting enchanted arrows at the monster. He felt something deep inside him that something was wrong, but he wasn't sure what. He tried to ignore it and move on but someone was dead. Not just one person but enough, it was a battle after all, and this was the hardest part of being a demigod. Dying.  

Will continued to fight the giant, pinning it down with countless arrows as a child of Ares killed it. Will didn't mind them taking the credit, he is a healer after all. He continued on his merry way, healing himself whenever he got a scathe. The one thing he thought about was to get back to Nico, to finally confess his love for him. Even if he has to haul a broken body up to the tree to see him again, he will do it. 

Finally, hours had passed and the battle was over. Gaia was gone, spent back to slumber. 

Will sighed in victory, a sigh of relief. He was alive, he made it. He could be with Nico now. 

He made his way to Thalia's tree and sat at the base, relaxing his head on the trunk. He sat and waited.

and waited.

and waited.

Hours passed and Will stayed waiting. He picked at his nails, biting the skin around them in anxiety. Picking at the grass in front of him. "Will..." Wills's sister, Kayla, spoke worriedly. "Will, it's time."

"No. He promised." Will's voice wavered, tears slowly filling his eyes. "He promised he'd be here."

"It's been hours... maybe, maybe he's not coming."

"He promised!" Will raised his voice before lowering it to a whisper. "He promised."

"Will..." Kayla's voice softened. 

She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Just ten more minutes." Will pleaded.

She hummed in response and left him alone. Will didn't sit here for just five more minutes. He sat there until the sun went down and the stars shone down. Nico was gone. Nico hates breaking promises, especially after Bianca. Will finally got up and made his way to the infirmary to drown himself in his work. Nico was gone, and he wasn't coming back. 

Nico's body had never been found, days have passed and all the funerals were over. Nico DiAngelo was labeled as unrecovered and presumed dead. Just like Leo who wasn't found but was assumed dead. 

Nico was not returning, he was dead. Will had tried to convince himself. He's gone and you missed your chance at your first love.